28 April 2023 | JW Marriott Grosvenor House Hotel
Categories
To begin your entry, please tick the category/categories below that you would like to enter.
Stage one of the judging process involves judges shortlisting entries based solely on the information you have provided here, so please make sure your entry includes as much evidence as possible.
In stage two, shortlisted entrants will present their entries to a panel of judges for deliberation.
Individual
Learner of the Year: Post-registration
Registration is rarely the end of education. This award recognises the importance of nurses continuing to study and develop throughout their career. This can be achieved in a variety of ways – either by studying an academic course or by other methods of continuing professional development (CPD), including online learning. Open to registered nurses in any branch or field of nursing, this award recognises outstanding learning and motivation to continually update knowledge and skills.
Mary Seacole Award for Outstanding Contribution to Diversity and Inclusion
Diversity, equality and inclusion are values that should underpin nursing education. This award aims to recognise a student who has made an exceptional contribution to creating a supportive and inclusive environment for patients and/or other students and staff from diverse backgrounds, for example, black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) or LGBTQ+. They will have demonstrated a clear understanding for the need to support diversity, equality and inclusion, as well as commitment and creativity in promoting it.

Most Inspirational Student Nurse of the Year
One of our major award categories for students, some would say the biggest of them all. Inspiring others around us is what sets people apart as leaders, innovators and role models. This award recognises a final-year student who has truly inspired their peers or colleagues, either at their higher education institution or while on a placement.
Entrants could have overcome significant obstacles in their personal lives or circumstances to achieve success as a student. Alternatively, they could have contributed to their studies or placement in such a way that has inspired others, for example, by advising, guiding and acting as enablers for junior peers.
In addition, entrants could have worked with a charity, undertaken a personal project or developed an innovation that would benefit health professionals or patients. The effort, work and behaviour of this student nurse will be an inspiration to those around them.

Nursing Associate Trainee of the Year
Nursing associates are the new role that is fast becoming established in the NHS in England, which bridges the gap between healthcare support workers and registered nurses. This award aims to recognise an outstanding final-year nursing associate trainee and to celebrate their ability to deliver safe, quality hands-on care and support the registered nursing workforce.
Entrants must be able to demonstrate that they can take personal responsibility and work independently within defined parameters of practice, taking the appropriate initiative in a variety of situations and performing a range of clinical skills to deliver high-quality person-centred care.
Outstanding Contribution to Student Affairs
Attending a higher education institution should be a rich and rewarding experience with many opportunities to engage with wider university life and bring about improvements for fellow students. This award seeks to recognise a student who has made an exceptional contribution to student affairs during their time at university. Examples include the improvement of their curriculum, facilities, wellbeing, environment, or rules and regulations, as well as enhancing the experience of fellow student nurses or midwives.
Practice Supervisor of the Year
Practice supervisors have the potential to shape, motivate and inspire student nurses and midwives. Good supervisors demonstrate empathy with their student, adapting their coaching methods to suit the individual, and provide an environment that encourages questions, informed debate and learning.
This award recognises their important mentoring role in the education of student nurses and midwives. It is open to any registered nurse who is a practice supervisor working in acute, community, NHS or private settings mentoring students on placement, and who supervises one or more students.

Student Innovation in Practice
While students are learning and observing, they can also bring about positive change themselves. This award seeks to recognise a student who has made an exceptional contribution to their placement by inspiring, leading or carrying out an innovative project.
This project could lead to improvements in the care of patients or service users through better experience or outcomes. Likewise, it could help support other students or improve the wellbeing of staff, so they are better enabled to provide high-quality care, or improve the effectiveness or efficiency of service delivery.

Student Midwife of the Year
One of our headline student of the year categories, the winner will join a select group of standout individuals. This award aims to recognise an outstanding student midwife and to celebrate the understanding and communication skills needed in this field – from clinical skills to academic achievement, as well as interpersonal skills, which underpin the treatment of this patient group and relate to their families.
In essence, entrants must combine the knowledge, skills and qualities required to excel. As a final-year student about to enter a midwifery career, the winner will have a broad understanding of the range of conditions and contraindications related to midwifery care and will demonstrate excellent clinical skills to ensure best is delivered at all times throughout antenatal, birth and postnatal care.

Student Nurse of the Year: Adult
One of our headline student of the year categories, the winner will join a select group of standout individuals. This award aims to recognise an outstanding final-year student and to celebrate the breadth of learning needed to join this branch of the profession – from clinical skills to academic achievement, which underpin the treatment of all patients.
In essence, entrants must combine the knowledge, skills and qualities required to excel. As a nurse entering adult nursing, the winner will have a broad understanding of a range of conditions and treatments, and demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the nursing profession and its responsibilities.

Student Nurse of the Year: Children
One of our headline student of the year categories, the winner will join a select group of standout individuals. This award aims to recognise and acknowledge the excellent communication skills as well as good clinical knowledge needed to care for this distinct group of patients.
We are looking for a final-year student nurse who can advocate for children and young people undergoing acute treatment or with long-term conditions, and their parents or carers. Entrants should be able to demonstrate a high level of nursing knowledge and a special set of skills to help them win the trust of this patient group.
Student Nurse or Midwife of the Year: Clinical Research
Clinical research nursing is an important and rapidly growing specialty, which promotes and develops the vital role of nurses and midwives in the delivery of high-quality clinical research. Ensuring a vibrant clinical research culture throughout the health and social care system is essential to finding new and innovative solutions to health and care needs.
This award aims to recognise and acknowledge a student nurse or midwife who has shown themselves to be a true advocate for clinical research, for example, by promoting it to their peers through their experience or raising the profile of clinical research placements through positive impacts. The category is open to entries from pre-registration student nurses and midwives from both the health and social care sector. Placement providers may also nominate candidates.

Student Nurse of the Year: Learning Disabilities
One of our headline student of the year categories, the winner will join a select group of standout individuals. This award aims to recognise and celebrate the unique nature of learning disabilities nursing, in which the focus is on encouraging this client group to participate in society and to promote and maintain health and wellbeing.
The winner will be able to demonstrate the interpersonal skills required of nurses who enter this sector, and the ability to work with this client group in a way that enables them to maximise their independence, and respects their right to self-determination.
Student Nurse of the Year: Mental Health
One of our headline student of the year categories, the winner will join a select group of standout individuals. This award celebrates the skills that mental health student nurses need to develop to nurse this often hard-to-reach and excluded group of people. The judges will be looking for an outstanding final-year student who offers excellent care and support to this group in treating or helping them to manage their mental health problems.
University Educator of the Year
Excellent teaching is the foundation on which future generations of nurses and midwives are built. This award is for teachers, lecturers and educators at higher education institutions who inspire, enthuse and motivate their students and, in so doing, further their quest for knowledge and understanding. It is for those who stand out from the crowd and truly shine for their students.

Organisation
Best Student Experience
Retaining students on their courses until graduation is vital to the future supply of nurses and midwives. This award seeks to recognise universities and higher education providers that emphasise giving students the best possible overall experience.
This key focus ensures students are supported in a learning community that is nurturing of the whole person as well as being conducive to encouraging excellence in learning and sharing best practice. Student experience has never felt more important as the education sector continues to catch up due to the pandemic and people have more choice than ever before about where and how they study.
Nurse Education Provider of the Year (Post-registration)
Continuing education and professional development are essential for nurses and midwives to progress and prosper once they are registered.
This awards category is designed to recognise the higher education institutions and health and care providers that offer the best courses to develop the leadership, management and clinical skills of registered nurses and midwives.
This award aims to shine a light on those institutions and providers that are offering a broad portfolio of courses, which are both highly relevant to nurses and midwives and also highly rated by them.
Nurse Education Provider of the Year (Pre-registration)
Students are the future of the profession. Teaching and supporting them through the pre-registration period to final graduation is the vital role of higher education institutions. This award recognises those universities and other institutions that stand out from the crowd because of the high standards of academic and practical teaching that they provide to their student nurses and midwives, as well as the excellent resources on offer to inspire them and nurture their development.
Nursing Associate Training Programme Provider of the Year (pre-reg)
Nursing associates are the new role that is fast becoming established in the NHS in England, which bridges the gap between healthcare support workers and registered nurses. Training those seeking to join the ranks of this new role is key to its ongoing and future success. This award recognises those universities and health and care providers that offer high standards of training, and excellent resources that inspire their nursing associate trainees and nurture their development.

Partnership of the Year
Partnerships are a powerful way for organisations to bring about improvements, innovations and expanded opportunities for the benefit of their students. This award seeks to recognise the important collaboration between higher educational institutions and organisations providing health and care to the public with a view to providing a conducive learning environment.
Student Placement of the Year: Community
Clinical placements are one of the most exhilarating but also challenging parts of a student nurse’s educational experience. This award category seeks to recognise community settings that go the extra mile to manage the anxieties associated with going on placement by providing a structured learning environment that helps students to develop and flourish.
This includes clearly setting out what students will be exposed to during their time on placement, and ensuring they are supported to learn, practise skills and gain knowledge from those around them with more experience.
Student Placement of the Year: Hospital
Clinical placements are one of the most exhilarating but also challenging parts of a student nurse’s educational experience. This award category seeks to recognise the wards and hospital settings that go the mile to manage the anxieties associated with going on placement by providing a structured learning environment that helps students to develop and flourish.
This includes clearly setting out what students will be exposed to during their time at the hospital, and ensuring they are supported to learn, practise skills and gain knowledge from those around them with more experience.

Teaching Innovation of the Year
Offering an innovative teaching environment helps attract and retain the best students. In an increasingly competitive academic and recruitment landscape, universities and placement providers are adapting traditional methods or developing new ones to offer interesting and engaging ways of learning.
This includes the legacy of the pandemic, which saw use of technology significantly increase, for example, through virtual placements. This award category is about highlighting innovative teaching methods that are workable, successful and potentially sustainable, such as use of social networking, modern communication media or new technology.